If you’re in regional Queensland and currently with another retailer, you can choose to return to Ergon Retail and access Easy Pay Reward (eligibility criteria applies). This is a rebate for regional households ($75) if you register for direct debit and monthly eBilling.

Types of electricity charges

Daily supply charge

also known as a service charge, fixed charge, service fee, or service to property charge

charged regardless of the amount of electricity used by customers

charged in cents per day or dollars per billing period

covers costs that do not depend on actual energy usage (e.g. those associated with maintaining poles and wires, and customer administration)

some retailers include metering charges in the service fee and some have a separate metering charge. Information on metering charges can be found below.

Usage charge

also known as a consumption charge, variable charge or energy use charge

is charged for the amount of electricity you use

charged in cents per kilowatt-hour (c/kWh).

Demand charge

new type of charge for households in Queensland

is based on how much power a customer uses from the network at a particular time

generally charged in dollars per kilowatt of maximum demand over a 30-minute period per month, but other timeframes can apply depending on the tariff

Tariff 14: seasonal time-of-use demand

Tariffs 31 and 33 are cheaper than Tariff 11 and may be used for hardwired appliances such as hot water systems and pool pumps.

Unlike time-of-use tariffs, you do not need to change usage behaviour in order to benefit from these prices. The cheaper prices are offered because electricity may not be available all the time on these tariffs.

Tariff 31 guarantees supply for 8 hours per day.

Tariff 33 guarantees supply for 18 hours per day.

Customers in regional Queensland must be on Tariff 11, Tariff 12A, or Tariff 14 before being able to access Tariffs 31 or 33.

South East Queensland

For South East Queensland customers, the amount charged by retailers for standard accumulation meter services is set by the Australian Energy Regulator and depends on the metering you have.

Charges for digital meters are not regulated.

Many retailers add metering charges to the daily supply charges.

In South East Queensland, if your electricity retailer proposes to replace a working meter with a digital meter, they must inform you of any upfront charges for the installation and what those charges will be.

Regional Queensland

Customers on market contracts

For regional Queensland customers on market contracts, the amount charged by retailers for standard accumulation meter services is set by the Australian Energy Regulator and depends on the metering you have.

Charges for digital meters are not regulated.

Many retailers add metering charges to the daily supply charges.

Customers on regulated (notified) prices

From 1 July 2018, the cost of metering is included in the notified price.

The price for metering is set in 2018-19. This means that regardless of whether or not you have an accumulation meter or a digital meter, you will pay the same charge. For 2018-19, the annual charge for metering is:

$43.80 for households with a primary tariff only (GST incl.)

$55.30 for households that have controlled load (GST incl.)

All new or replacement meters must be a digital meter, known as a type 4 meter.

Households that receive a digital meter and choose to have the telecommunications function disabled (known as a type 4A meter) will pay an extra $64.33 per year. This is to cover the cost of manual meter reading.

Contact your electricity retailer for more information about your metering service charges, or before the installation of a new meter.